Highlights
- Arnold Schwarzenegger has revealed he was deeply “embarrassed” and “hurt” by the 1993 box office failure of his film, Last Action Hero.
- Close friend and director James Cameron stated the action star sounded like he was “in bed crying” over the film’s poor reception.
- Schwarzenegger was so demoralized that he isolated himself for a full week, refusing to see anyone.
- Despite being a major financial disappointment upon release, Last Action Hero has since earned a dedicated cult following.
The Flop That Shook the Terminator
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the titan of 80s and 90s action cinema, built a career on playing invincible heroes. From The Terminator to Predator, his brand was synonymous with success and unshakeable confidence. However, the Hollywood legend recently opened up about the one film failure that left him feeling embarrassed and utterly defeated: the 1993 fantasy action-comedy, Last Action Hero.
In the Netflix documentary series Arnold, Schwarzenegger, alongside friend and collaborator James Cameron, recounted the painful aftermath of the movie’s box office bombing.
H3: A Crushing Blow to the Brand
Directed by John McTiernan, Last Action Hero was an ambitious project with a massive $85 million budget. But it failed to connect with audiences, ultimately grossing a lackluster $137.3 million worldwide. For Schwarzenegger, who was at the peak of his stardom, the rejection was a personal and professional blow.
“I cannot tell you how upset that I was,” Arnie recalled in the documentary. “It hurts you. It hurts your feelings. It’s embarrassing.”
The failure was so profound that it rattled the seemingly unbreakable star. James Cameron, director of Avatar and Titanic, called Schwarzenegger to check in on him and was shocked by what he heard.
“He sounded like he was in bed crying,” Cameron revealed. “He took it as a deep blow to his brand. I think it really shook him.”
H3: An Unprecedented Retreat
The star’s reaction was unlike anything Cameron had ever seen. “I said, ‘What are you gonna do?’ He said, ‘I’m just gonna hang out by myself.’ That’s the only time I’ve ever heard him down,” Cameron added.
True to his word, Schwarzenegger completely withdrew from the public eye to process the failure. “I didn’t want to see anyone for a week,” he admitted. It was a period of reflection for the action hero, who ultimately found strength in the advice of his mother-in-law. “Let’s just move forward,” she would often say. “It’s a great message.”
H2: From Box Office Bomb to Cult Classic
While Last Action Hero was initially deemed a critical and financial disaster, time has been kind to the film. Over the years, its satirical take on action movie tropes has resonated with a new generation of fans, transforming it from a Hollywood embarrassment into a beloved cult classic.
For Schwarzenegger, the experience was a harsh but valuable lesson in resilience. It proved that even the biggest stars are vulnerable to failure, but the key is to, as he put it, “keep plodding along.”